MUSEUMS & COLLECTIONS

History is an important part of the present in Webster Parish, where we value our heritage and vow to preserve the things that have made us who we are.

Germantown Colony and Museum is one of three sites founded by the Utopian Movement or Harmonist Society in the 19th Century. In 1835, a group from the Economy, Pennsylvania site, under the leadership of “Countess von Leon”, established a colony near Minden. The colony operated on a communal basis for 37 years, finally dispersing in 1871. Of the three Harmony Society Colonies, Germantown was the most successful. In 1979, it was placed on the official list of the Nation’s Cultural Resources Worthy of Preservation by the U.S. Department of Interior. The Germantown Colony and Museum is located 7 miles northeast of Minden on Germantown Road.

It is open Thursday – Saturday from 9a - 4p. Admission is free. Group rates are also available. The museum is also open by appointment. For information, call 318-377-6061.

Between Dixie Inn and Cotton Valley on Highway 371, the Cottonwood Flea Markets boast finds ranging from 19th century washtubs and buckboard to vintage glassware.

The Dorcheat Museum located in historic downtown Minden at 116 Pearl St., is an experience in the life and culture of Webster Parish along the Bayou Dorcheat area of North Louisiana. Experience the sights and sounds of the parish’s earliest inhabitants and hear about their triumphs and tragedies. Not the usual static museum, this interactive museum features animation and videos to bring the past to life. Admission is free. For more information call 318-377-3002 or go to http://museuminminden.blogspot.com/